#1#
My hometown Nanchang is a heroic city.
As the saying goes, "Heroes emerge in troubled times." Nanchang people like to boast about themselves: The Luohan in Nanchang is invincible. Luohan, also known as street hooligans or gangsters. Similar to Shanji and Haonan Ge, the combat effectiveness of Nanchang Luohan varies greatly, ranging from those who specialize in robbing elementary school students to those who carry machetes. In Nanchang, the most famous gathering place for Luohan is Dashiyuan. When I was young and ignorant, I once mistakenly entered there and had 5 yuan stolen from me. It wasn't until I grew up that I learned that Dashiyuan was named after Guanyin Bodhisattva. It turns out that Nanchang is not only a heroic city, but also a city with great wisdom.
Nanchang Bros are unfuckable
Next to Dashiyuan is a middle school called No. 11 Middle School, which was later renamed No. 81 Middle School. There is an inscription by an elder on the wall of the school gate. Across from No. 81 Middle School is the alley where I used to live. At the entrance of the alley, there is an elementary school called Jihong Elementary School. Jihong, inheriting the red, the vast mountains and rivers, never fade.
In addition to the motorcycle taxi drivers lying on the ground at the entrance of the alley, there is also a fool. Yes, a real fool. Since I can remember, he has appeared at the entrance of the alley every day, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, shouting "Father, Father" as if he were an NPC.
He is not wrong in shouting. There are indeed many fathers on the street. Everyone can criticize everyone, and everyone should learn from each other. For example, the taxi drivers in Nanchang always hold the steering wheel with one hand, with a cigarette in their mouths, and speed past every car they pass, while spraying each car they pass at a faster speed. For example, the motorcycle taxi drivers in Nanchang are always young and never wear helmets. They start at 5 yuan and travel all over the place, running faster than taxis.
Nanchang, my hometown, a heroic city.
#2#
I don't actually want to badmouth my hometown. Let me make it clear in advance, I love my hometown.
Nanchang used to have poor public security, with rampant burglaries. Thieves always broke in through windows. Helpless, the residents on the first floor installed anti-theft windows, isolating themselves at home. However, this resulted in an unexpected chain reaction. The flying thieves easily stepped on the anti-theft windows on the first floor and entered the second floor, so the residents on the second floor also installed anti-theft windows; then the residents on the third floor... and the residents on the fourth floor... and the residents on the fifth floor... and the residents on the sixth floor... Oh, no, the buildings in that era were only up to six floors.
During the May Day holiday this year, Nanchang remained still for three days and successfully controlled the epidemic, winning a great victory. Recently, I had the opportunity to return to Nanchang and found that the isolation iron walls in many communities had not been removed. The small roads that I knew but were not marked on the map were also blocked by roadblocks, which easily reminded me of the anti-theft windows in my childhood.
Observing the closure measures in various communities, it seems that it is similar to installing anti-theft windows back then. If Community A is closed and Community B is not, then the pressure... oh no, I mean the pressure will come to Community B, so Community B says: check. AB then looks at C, and C has no choice but to follow. And once A raises, BC has no choice but to follow. Finally, everyone goes all in together.
Either burst out or add fuel in silence.
Actually, this is not all bad. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty in China, in the Zhenguan period, Chang'an City was divided into 110 neighborhoods, and unnecessary passage between neighborhoods was prohibited. The recent measures just allow everyone to experience the prosperous Tang Dynasty. This is a good thing, so let's enjoy it secretly.
Sui and Tang are one family
Speaking of the Tang Dynasty, there are always people who want to go back to the Tang Dynasty. Last year, elephants in Yunnan traveled north, and some experts said that ancient Henan was much warmer than it is now, so the abbreviation of Henan, "Yu," means "one person leading one elephant." Now with global warming, the elephants can't stay in Yunnan anymore, and we are going to recreate the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
Nonsense. I think the experts' brains are overheated.
#3#
Everyone has had moments of being impulsive.
My first love had natural curls. In 2008, I spent the most beautiful summer of my life. We went to New Oriental together every day, studied together after class, and ate coconut milk turtle jelly together during self-study.
At that time, the transportation was slow, the motorcycle taxis were fast, and the coconut milk turtle jelly was cheap.
But now, the same turtle jelly has increased in price tenfold. Damn it, the sinful capitalism, or should I say socialist axi.
Can't afford coconut milk turtle jelly anymore
However, I know that memories are filtered. The so-called "the most beautiful summer of my life" actually exists in my imagination. When looking back, I tend to only keep the beautiful memories, such as those natural curls.
Why do people miss the past? Ultimately, it's because they have too much free time. For example, during the Chinese New Year, when everyone has free time, the elders in the family like to drink and brag together, reminiscing about the glorious years of the past, such as ration coupons, unit compounds, how great the 1980s were. But once someone sends a red envelope in the group chat, they run faster than Western journalists.
#4#
Many people miss their past lives. The world after opening up is too big, so big that it is frightening. People's communes can give them enough sense of security.
In fact, it's not difficult to experience life in that era. Just go to North Korea. For my college graduation trip, I chose North Korea as the destination. I remember the streets of Pyongyang were straight, the buildings were tall and orderly, and the whole city was full of Bauhaus aesthetics. When the epidemic just broke out 20 years ago, I stood on a bridge on the North Fourth Ring Road, looking east. The straight and wide road extended to the unseen distance, reminding me of the fat man on Mount Baekdu in the far east.
The whole trip was quite good, after all, there was good food, good drinks, and North Korean beauties dancing to liven up the atmosphere. But once I returned to the embrace of my motherland, everyone couldn't wait to take out their phones and catch up on their friends' moments. My last WeChat moment was secretly posted using the super strong signal from China Unicom when I just entered North Korea. The picture was a sneak shot of a double-propeller aircraft of Air Koryo, with the charm of the Sengshan Avenue and the suspense of Alfred Hitchcock.
They say it's 50 years old
Taking photos in North Korea is not allowed, but I took a lot of them secretly. The residents of North Korea do have portraits of the great leader in the position of their hearts, and we made fun of them at that time. Five years later, I realized that I was wrong. They quickly discovered that the virus that Western Korea treated as a major threat was just a common fever. Ah, those who have been abroad are different.
Later, people asked me if North Korea was fun. I said, "It's quite interesting." "Quite interesting" is equivalent to "interesting" in English, which translates to "quite good." Whoever wants to go can go. I think the past China was also quite interesting.
Forrest Gump said, "Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." In fact, there is a more concise saying: Shit happens. Sometimes, life is like that. You don't know when your home will be robbed, you don't know when you will be executed by Kim Jong-un, and you don't know when you will be taken away for quarantine.
I hope everyone has good luck and can say when someone knocks on the door, "Ivan is next door."
World famous painting: Brezhnev in Poland
My hometown has developed rapidly in recent years. Now, let's not talk about Nanchang Luohan. It claims to be the Venice of the East to the outside world. Not exaggerating, it has indeed become very beautiful and livable.
For example, when crossing the road now, all cars, including taxis, will stop and give way to pedestrians; the motorcycle taxi drivers have disappeared, and shared electric bicycles are available everywhere, and everyone has their beloved little motorcycles, and the most important thing is that everyone wears helmets. No one installs anti-theft windows anymore. Even Dashiyuan, the gathering place of Luohan, has opened literary bars. After a meal and a drink, the Buddha's heart is left, and the Luohans have become compassionate.
Nanchang has lost its heroic spirit and has become an ordinary and beautiful city.
But I think the world is like this. Without oppression, there is no need for heroes.
Everyone is a good citizen, everyone is a law-abiding citizen, everyone is equal, content and at ease, and there is no need for a father.
Progress is essentially the process of eliminating fathers.
#5#
I also passed by the alley of my childhood.
Actually, not much has changed. Time seems to have stood still here.
But there have been some changes. Jihong Elementary School has become Peizhi School, specializing in the education of intellectually disabled children. The fool at the entrance of the alley is gone, and no one shouts "Father, Father" anymore.
#6#
In the song "Ordinary Road," Pu Shu sings, "Keep moving forward, just like that."
Keep moving forward, just like that, without looking back.
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2022/05/31 @Nanchang